Written Answers

Monday 6 March 2000

Scottish Executive

Education, Culture and Sport

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3438 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 11 January 2000, what level of resources are still available from end-year flexibility arrangements.

Mr Sam Galbraith: All estimated end-year flexibility within the education, culture and sport budget has been allocated.

Employment

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that there will be no forced redundancies in the nine Remploy factory sites in Scotland due to the long term proposal of Remploy to provide more opportunity for people working in their factories to move into open employment.

Henry McLeish: I can confirm that there is no intention that redundancies in Scotland will take place as a result of Remploy’s aim to help their disabled employees progress into open employment.

  Remploy has recently announced a new strategy to create more opportunities for disabled people. The company aims to achieve this by developing the Remploy factories to provide training and development for their employees, as well as work, thereby better supporting people to progress to independent employment.

  The company has consulted with their employees and the Remploy Trade Union Consortium and have signed a joint statement, which sets out a framework to enable both sides to work together to ensure that there is full support from all stakeholders, which will be fundamental to the strategy’s success.

European Funding

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in preparing the report of the Steering Committee on the Review of Programme Management Executives for the administration of European Structural Funds.

Mr Jack McConnell: Lex Gold, Chair of the Steering Committee, today presented to me the Steering Committee’s report, a copy of which has been placed in SPICe. I am very grateful to him and his colleagues on the Steering Committee for the work they have done to prepare such a useful report in such a short timescale. I welcome the general thrust of the report, which is that the Scottish model for administering Structural Funds should be maintained but that there is a need to clarify roles and responsibilities and to adapt the model to make it more effective and efficient. I also welcome the proposal that day-to-day management of the individual Programmes should be left as far as possible in the hands of partnership-based bodies in the areas covered by the Programmes.

  I shall be considering the detailed recommendations over the coming weeks and look forward to discussing them with the European Committee on 21 March before reaching any final decision. I have invited interested parties to make any views known to me by 20 March if at all possible.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why oncology patients in the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow are having to wait up to 24 weeks for ultrasound examinations.

Susan Deacon: South Glasgow University Hospitals Trust has taken steps to reduce the waiting list for ultrasound examinations. Full details are available from the Trust.

  The Scottish Executive is committed to improving waiting times, addressing all stages of a patient’s care pathway through the health service. Over the coming months we will be working with the NHS across Scotland to establish national maximum waiting times to be met by March 2001 in the three national priorities of heart disease, cancer and mental illness.

Health

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to whom the task force to oversee the management of NHS services in Tayside will report and when.

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit is of the task force to oversee the management of NHS services in Tayside and what authority the task force will have to implement the recommendations it makes.

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the task force to oversee the management of NHS services in Tayside has been established.

Susan Deacon: The people of Tayside deserve well-run, flexible health services in which they can have confidence – and for which local health bodies are truly accountable. I therefore announced, on 15 February, the creation of a high level task force whose remit is to work with Tayside Health Board and the two local NHS Trusts to ensure that local health services are planned and delivered effectively and within the total resources available.

  The task force has been put in place to work with and alongside the Tayside Health Board and Trusts to:

  deliver an effective financial recovery plan for the local acute Trust which is forecasting an overspend by end March of up to £12 million;

  develop a cohesive Health Improvement Programme and Trust Implementation Plans which deliver real improvements in health for the people of Tayside; and

  progress the local Acute Services Review which will map out the delivery of modern, patient-centred hospital services in the medium and longer-term.

  Any findings and recommendations made by the task force will be for the health board and the two NHS Trusts to consider. The Scottish Executive Health Department will continue to assess the performance of the NHS in Tayside through its normal performance management arrangements and the work of the task force will be an integral part of that arrangement.

  I have given the task force a great deal of autonomy over the means by which they achieve this very challenging task. This may involve public or private consultation but ultimately the decision on this matter shall rest with the members of the task force.

Health

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the task force to oversee the management of NHS services in Tayside will meet with patient groups within Angus and Tayside and what other public consultation it will undertake.

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether extra resources will be made available to Tayside Health Board if extra funding is among the recommendations of the task force to oversee the management of the NHS services in Tayside.

Susan Deacon: I refer Mr Welsh to my answer to his question S1W-4429.

Health

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage the development of a Scottish and international centre of excellence of ECMO treatment at Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow.

Susan Deacon: The Yorkhill Hospital provides Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) for children from Scotland and other countries within the European Union. In keeping with the delivery of NHS services in general, the Scottish Executive encourages the delivery of high quality services and expects the ECMO service to be of a high standard which fully meets patients’ needs.

Health

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of beds in the NHS were occupied by people aged over (a) 65 and (b) 75, in each of the last five years.

Susan Deacon: Information on the percentage of beds in the NHS in Scotland occupied by people aged over (a) 65 and (b) 75, in the acute, long-stay and psychiatric/mental health sectors, for each of the last five years, is shown in the table.

  NHS in Scotland: Percentage of Inpatient Beds Occupied by Patients Aged Over 65 & 75 Years1 (Year Ending 31 March)

  

 

1995

  

1996

  

1997

  

1998

  

1999

  



Acute Sector

  



Over 65

  

59.3

  

60.3

  

61.7

  

62.4

  

63.1

  



Over 75

  

36.6

  

37.2

  

39.1

  

40.1

  

40.8

  


 



Long Stay Sector

  



Over 65

  

96.6

  

96.1

  

95.9

  

95.7

  

96.0

  



Over 75

  

80.5

  

79.4

  

78.8

  

79.6

  

80.1

  


 



Psychiatric/Mental 

  Health Sector2




Over 65

  

48.3

  

47.3

  

45.8

  

44.4

  

43.4

  



Over 75

  

31.3

  

30.0

  

29.8

  

28.9

  

28.4

  



  Source: ISD Scotland.

  Notes:

  1. All information is based on the number of beds occupied overnight – day cases and cases where there is no overnight stay are omitted.

  2. Information on the Psychiatric/Mental Health Sector for 31 March 1999 is provisional.

Health

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the number of NHS beds by (a) speciality and (b) health board in each of the last three years.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is set out in the following two tables.

  Reductions in the number of beds over the years reflects medical advances and changes in the pattern of care, including the significant increase in day-case surgery and reductions in the length of stay for inpatient treatment.

  TABLE 1:

  NHS in Scotland: Average Available Staffed Beds1 by Specialty2

  (Year ending 31 March)

  


Specialty

  

1997

  

1998

  

1999

  



Acute Surgical

  

7,138

  

6,787

  

6,604

  

















Anaesthetics

  

4

  

3

  

2

  



Cardiothoracic 

  Surgery

  

243

  

241

  

233

  



ENT Surgery

  

373

  

342

  

324

  



General 

  Surgery

  

2,708

  

2,607

  

2,557

  



Gynaecology

  

642

  

577

  

534

  



Neurosurgery

  

187

  

188

  

187

  



Ophthalmology

  

217

  

204

  

187

  



Orthopaedic 

  Surgery

  

1,842

  

1,756

  

1,732

  



Paediatric 

  Surgery

  

149

  

140

  

134

  



Plastic 

  Surgery

  

220

  

211

  

213

  



Spinal Paralysis

  

48

  

48

  

48

  



Urology

  

505

  

472

  

452

  

















Acute Medical

  

6,018

  

5,926

  

 

  5,933

  

















Cardiology

  

 

  153

  

 

  191

  

 

  224

  



Communicable 

  Diseases

  

 

  204

  

 

  173

  

 

  164

  



Dermatology

  

 

  191

  

 

  174

  

 

  161

  



Gastroenterology

  

 

  83

  

 

  80

  

 

  92

  



General 

  Medicine

  

 

  3,718

  

 

  3,607

  

 

  3,585

  



Haematology

  

 

  184

  

 

  198

  

 

  200

  



Homeopathy

  

 

  17

  

 

  14

  

 

  15

  



Medical 

  Oncology

  

 

  81

  

 

  85

  

 

  99

  



Metabolic 

  Disease

  

 

  14

  

 

  10

  

 

  8

  



Nephrology

  

 

  155

  

 

  159

  

 

  148

  



Neurology

  

 

  98

  

 

  97

  

 

  92

  



Paediatric 

  Medicine

  

 

  469

  

 

  441

  

 

  450

  



Rehabilitation 

  Medicine

  

 

  190

  

 

  248

  

 

  264

  



Respiratory 

  Medicine

  

 

  346

  

 

  341

  

 

  332

  



Rheumatology

  

 

  115

  

 

  108

  

 

  101

  

















Dental

  

 

  72

  

 

  69

  

 

  71

  

















Oral Surgery 

  and Oral Medicine

  

 

  72

  

 

  69

  

 

  70

  



Orthodontics 

  and Paediatric Dentistry

  

-

  

-

  

 

  1

  



Restorative 

  Dentistry

  

-

  

-

  

-

  

















GP Other 

  Than Obstetrics

  

 

  1,149

  

 

  1,225

  

 

  1,239

  

















Obstetrics

  

 

  1,400

  

 

  1,354

  

 

  1,267

  

















Obstetrics 

  – GP

  

 

  89

  

 

  102

  

 

  98

  



Obstetrics 

  – Specialist Antenatal

  

 

  1,247

  

 

  1,165

  

 

  1,053

  



Obstetrics 

  – Specialist Postnatal

  

 

  64

  

 

  87

  

 

  116

  

















Geriatric 

  Assessment

  

 

  3,452

  

 

  3,570

  

 

  3,517

  

















Geriatric 

  Long Stay

  

 

  6,324

  

 

  5,720

  

 

  5,118

  

















Geriatric 

  Long Stay

  

 

  6,076

  

 

  5,488

  

 

  4,924

  



Young Chronic 

  Sick

  

 

  248

  

 

  233

  

 

  194

  

















Psychiatric

  

 

  9,580

  

 

  9,076

  

 

  8,674

  

















Adolescent 

  Psychiatry

  

 

  45

  

 

  44

  

 

  39

  



Child Psychiatry

  

 

  32

  

 

  30

  

 

  30

  



Mental Illness

  

 

  4,367

  

 

  4,301

  

 

  4,143

  



Psychogeriatrics

  

 

  5,136

  

 

  4,701

  

 

  4,462

  

















Learning 

  Disabilities

  

 

  3,141

  

 

  2,888

  

 

  2,597

  

















Other Specialties

  

 

  1,393

  

 

  1,383

  

 

  1,355

  

















Accident 

  and Emergency

  

 

  95

  

 

  94

  

 

  91

  



Acute Mixed

  

 

  80

  

 

  81

  

 

  72

  



Diagnostic 

  Radiology

  

-

  

-

  

-

  



Intensive 

  Therapy Unit

  

 

  303

  

 

  315

  

 

  327

  



Other Acute

  

 

  235

  

 

  250

  

 

  236

  



Radiotherapy 

  (Consultative)

  

 

  276

  

 

  241

  

 

  240

  



Special 

  Care Baby Unit

  

 

  404

  

 

  402

  

 

  389

  

















All Specialities

  

 

  39,668

  

 

  37,998

  

 

  36,376

  



  Source: ISD Scotland.

  Notes:

  1. Includes beds in non-NHS locations (e.g. joint users and contractual hospitals) for use by NHS patients.

  2. Changes in the recording classification of specialities took place during 1996-97. Figures for years ending 31 March 1998 and 31 March 1999 are "mapped-back" to allow comparison with those shown for year ending 31 March 1997.

  TABLE 2

  NHS in Scotland: Average Available Staffed Beds by Health Board Area of Treatment1

  (Year ending 31 March)

  


Health Board

  

1997

  

1998

  

1999

  



Argyll & 

  Clyde

  

3,479

  

3,534

  

3,363

  



Ayrshire 

  & Arran

  

2,259

  

2,234

  

2,163

  



Borders

  

 

  781

  

 

  754

  

 

  734

  



Dumfries 

  & Galloway

  

1,105

  

1,076

  

1,104

  



Fife

  

2,228

  

2,097

  

2,029

  



Forth Valley

  

2,260

  

2,106

  

2,028

  



Grampian

  

4,135

  

3,892

  

3,732

  



Greater 

  Glasgow

  

8,256

  

8,059

  

7,564

  



Highland

  

1,497

  

1,492

  

1,450

  



Lanarkshire

  

3,882

  

3,726

  

3,661

  



Lothian

  

5,717

  

5,117

  

4,819

  



Orkney

  

 

  153

  

 

  147

  

 

  131

  



Shetland

  

 

  127

  

 

  116

  

 

  100

  



Tayside

  

3,557

  

3,374

  

3,235

  



Western 

  Isles

  

 

  232

  

 

  274

  

 

  263

  



Scotland

  

39,668

  

37,998

  

36,376

  



  Source: ISD Scotland.

  Notes:

  1. Includes beds in non-NHS locations (e.g. joint users and contractual hospitals) for use by NHS patients.

Health

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what was the spending in actual and real terms on the NHS dental budget in 1997-98, 1998-99 and to date in 1999-2000.

Susan Deacon: The figures requested are listed in the table below:

  


Gross Expenditure 

  on NHS General Dental Services (£000)

  



Year

  

Cash

  

Real 

  Terms
(at 

  1997-98 prices)

  



1997-98

  

161,022 

  (outturn)

  

161,022 

  (outturn)

  



1998-99

  

168,168 

  (outturn)

  

162,854 

  (outturn)

  



1999-2000

  

178,603 

  (planned expenditure)

  

169,153 

  (planned expenditure)

Health

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the NHS dental budget was raised by dental charges in 1997-98, 1998-99 and to date in 1999-2000.

Susan Deacon: The percentage of the gross NHS general dental services budget collected from patient charges in 1997-98 and 1998-99 respectively was 29.36 and 29.16. Patient charges constitute 28.23% of planned gross general dental services expenditure for 1999-2000.

Justice

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is in place regarding the treatment of young people (a) under 16 years and (b) 17-21 years who are asked to give evidence in court proceedings.

Mr Jim Wallace: In 1990 the then Lord Justice General issued a Memorandum on Child Witnesses (a term which denotes all witnesses under 16 and some under 18) to provide assistance to Judges in the exercise of their discretionary powers. The general objective is to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the experience of giving evidence causes as little anxiety and distress to the child as possible in the circumstances. Procurators Fiscal also have substantial and detailed guidance on the treatment of child witnesses. The general principle stated by that guidance is that "some children can be seriously traumatised by having to recount unpleasant events in open court, particularly in front of the accused...Procurators Fiscal must be guided by the need to protect the child witness from unnecessary distress". Procurators Fiscal are instructed, among other things, to give the case high priority and to adopt a sensitive approach to the child at every stage. The detailed guidance is supplemented by substantial training. Separately, the Crown Office is now developing an Action Plan to implement those recommendations of the Lord Advocate's Working Group on Child Witness Support which lie within the power of the Procurator Fiscal Service.

Justice

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current penalties are for malicious calls to the emergency services and whether it plans to increase these penalties or otherwise alter the sanctions available.

Mr Jim Wallace: This is a reserved matter. Section 43 of the Telecommunications Act 1984, as amended, provides the penalties for malicious calls to the emergency services. They are a maximum fine of £5,000 or six months imprisonment, or both. Any changes to the legislation are a matter for the UK Government.

Justice

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the range of penalties which may be imposed for causing death by dangerous driving.

Mr Jim Wallace: Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 as amended, the offence of causing death by dangerous driving carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. Since the law on dangerous driving is reserved under the Scotland Act 1998, this is a matter for the UK Government.

Local Government

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes to ensure that all local authorities fulfil their legal obligation to pay all invoices within 30 days.

Mr Jack McConnell: Payment arrangements are a matter between local authorities and individual suppliers. As noted in my response to question S1O-332, I spoke to Councillor Norman Murray, President of CoSLA, asking him to draw to the attention of councils the requirements of the Late Payment of Commercial Debt (Interest) Act 1998 and the importance of paying their bills on time. CoSLA wrote to all local authorities advising them of this on 1 October.

  The latest available information on the performance of councils in paying invoices within 30 days was published in the recent Accounts Commission pamphlet Benefits, Finance and Housing 1998-99. It reported that 19 councils had improved in terms of the percentage of invoices which they had paid on time during 1998-99, compared to the previous year.

Local Government Finance

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a detailed breakdown of the total spending guidelines set down for North Lanarkshire Council, South Lanarkshire Council and East Ayrshire Council for each of the past three years, including the current financial year; what spending limits are being set for each of these councils for 2000-01, and what percentage changes in real terms these figures represent over the four year period.

Mr Jack McConnell: The table below shows the figures for capping limits for 1997-98 and 1998-99 and expenditure guidelines for 1999-2000 and 2000-01. Expenditure guidelines replaced capping limits in 1999-2000 and provide councils with a more transparent and a less restrictive indication of the level of council spending we consider to be prudent.

  


Local Authority

  

Capping 

  Limits
Cash

  

Guidelines
Cash

  

Real 

  Terms % increase over the period 1997-98 to 2000-01

  






1997-98

  

1998-99

  

1999-2000

  

2000-01

  









£ 

  million

  

£ 

  million

  

£ 

  million

  

£ 

  million

  






East Ayrshire

  

128.0

  

132.5

  

155.4

  

160.2

  

15.8

  



North Lanarkshire

  

336.6

  

346.7

  

411.0

  

425.7

  

17.0

  



South Lanarkshire

  

305.4

  

315.0

  

382.5

  

396.7

  

20.2

  



  Notes:

  1. Real terms increases are based on RPI at September 1999.

  2. Expenditure guidelines are not directly comparable with capping limits.

Local Government Finance

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will contact North Ayrshire Council to discuss the implications of the council again having an annual budget deficit which may be over £6 million.

Mr Jack McConnell: I have regular contact with councils on a range of financial matters and I place a great deal of importance in ensuring there is probity in local authority spending. It is a matter for local authorities themselves to determine their own budgets and to ensure that they take the necessary steps to remedy any deficits. North Ayrshire Council’s Aggregate External Finance for 2000-01 is rising by £6.2 million or 4.4% to £149.2 million and its expenditure guideline is increasing by £6.2 million or 3.5% to £183.3 million.

Planning

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to restore vacant and derelict industrial land to productive use; how many hectares of such land were reclaimed in each of the last three years, and how many hectares of such land remain.

Sarah Boyack: Planning guidance states that a priority is placed on the re-use of vacant and derelict land as a contribution to regeneration of older urban areas and as a means of reducing demand for greenfield sites.

  Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise undertake a range of projects to bring derelict, neglected or unsightly land or buildings into economic use under their Environmental Renewal powers.

  Information from the Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey shows that the number of hectares of reclaimed land for 1996 was 688 ha, for 1997 it was 990 ha and for 1998 it was 823 ha. In 1998, local authorities recorded 12,212 hectares of vacant and derelict land in Scotland.1, 2

  Notes:

  1. The Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey includes only that vacant land which is either located within an urban settlement (with a population of 2,000 or more) or which is located within 1km of such settlements, which would commonly be considered as having the characteristics of urban vacant land. Sites covering less than 0.1 ha are excluded.

  2. Figures given for reclaimed land may underestimate the total as not all local authorities completed a return.

Police

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under the age of 16 were held overnight in police cells (a) for less than 24 hours and (b) for more than 24 hours in each police force area in (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the highest number of prisoners is which have been detained in Bowhouse Prison, Kilmarnock, what the current total is detained and what these figures represent as a percentage of the total capacity of the prison.

Mr Jim Wallace: To date, the highest number of prisoners detained at HMP Kilmarnock has been 528 (106% of the capacity of the prison). The number of prisoners on 24 February was 494 (99% of capacity).

Public Appointments

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the Ombudsman for Housing Associations has retired, what plans have been made for a replacement and what arrangements have been made for public scrutiny of the appointment.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Ombudsman took a personal decision to retire on the grounds that he was beyond normal retirement age. Scottish Homes, which at the moment is responsible for this service, is currently in the process of recruiting a new Ombudsman.

  As part of a general consideration of public sector Ombudsmen in Scotland, the Scottish Executive will shortly consult about options for the future of the Housing Association Ombudsman.

Special Advisers

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) Special Advisers and (b) full- or part-time assistants or other support staff to Special Advisers it currently employs, what the annual salaries of any assistants or other support staff to Special Advisers are and what the total amount of expenses incurred by Special Advisers and their assistants or support staff, including on travel, meals and accommodation since 6 May 1999 is.

Donald Dewar: The Scottish Executive currently employs eight Special Advisers. Travel and subsistence costs incurred by Special Advisers from 6 May 1999 to 31 December 1999 amounts to £7,937.

  In accordance with the terms of their contract of employment, Special Advisers do not have any assistants or other support staff working directly for them. A copy of the model contract for Special Advisers is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Special Advisers

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1612 by Donald Dewar on 16 September 1999, whether it will now specify the revised total estimated annual costs of employment of Special Advisors broken down by individual and including any termination and other payments which have been made to Mr Rafferty and Mr Chalmers.

Donald Dewar: There are currently eight Special Advisers employed within the Scottish Executive. The estimated annual cost of employing them (including overheads) is £527,207. Individual salaries are not revealed in order to protect the privacy of those concerned. Regarding severance payment, Mr Rafferty received the three month’s salary due under the terms of his contract of employment; Mr Chalmers did not receive any such payment. A copy of the Model Contract of Employment for Special Advisers is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Statistics

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which five local authorities specifically have the highest levels of (i) child mortality, (ii) income support dependants, (iii) male and female and overall unemployment levels, (iv) lone parent households, (v) average number of children per lone parent household and (vi) average income, all in proportionate terms.

Mr Jack McConnell: (i) Child mortality. The local authority areas with the highest average annual death rates per 100,000 population for persons aged under 16 for 1996-98 are as follows.

  


Stirling*

  

98

  



West Dunbartonshire

  

76

  



Glasgow 

  City

  

71

  



Eilean Siar

  

64

  



Argyll & 

  Bute

  

63

  



  Source: General Register Office for Scotland.

  *If the children killed in the Dunblane tragedy in 1996 were excluded, the average figure for Stirling would be 64.

  (ii) Income support claimants. The five local authorities with the highest proportions of income support claimants are:

  


1

  

Glasgow 

  City

  

14.8%

  



2

  

West Dunbartonshire

  

10.9%

  



3

  

Dundee City

  

10.0%

  



4

  

Inverclyde

  

10.0%

  



5

  

North Lanarkshire

  

9.6%

  



  Source: Department of Social Security data for income support for August 1999 divided by General Registrar Office for Scotland estimates for population. Figures on total numbers of dependants are not available at this level.

  (iii) Unemployment rates. The highest male, female and total unemployment rates are as follows:

  


Unemployment 

  rates, January 2000

  



Men

  

Women

  

All 

  people

  



Glasgow 

  City

  

12.7%

  

North Ayrshire

  

4.2%

  

Glasgow 

  City

  

8.5%

  



Dundee City

  

11.0%

  

Clackmannanshire

  

4.0%

  

East Ayrshire

  

7.6%

  



East Ayrshire

  

10.8%

  

East Ayrshire

  

3.8%

  

North Ayrshire

  

7.4%

  



West Dunbartonshire

  

10.5%

  

Glasgow 

  City

  

3.6%

  

Eilean Siar

  

7.2%

  



North Ayrshire

  

10.0%

  

Eilean Siar

  

3.6%

  

Dundee City

  

7.2%

  



  Source: Office for National Statistics, Claimant Count & Labour Force Survey.

  Note: Residence-based rates used - Scottish Executive methodology.

  (iv) Lone parent households. The latest estimates available are for 1996. The following five local authorities were estimated to have the highest proportions of lone parent households (strictly speaking households consisting of one adult and one or more children):

  


Glasgow 

  City

  

9.1%

  



West Dunbartonshire

  

8.0%

  



Dundee City

  

7.8%

  



Inverclyde

  

7.1%

  



North Ayrshire

  

6.8%

  



  Source: Scottish Executive estimates.

  (v) The average number of children per lone parent household. No up-to-date figures are available.

  (vi) Average incomes. Data on average incomes are not available at local authority level. The following gives information on average weekly earnings. There would be no reason to assume that these authorities will have the highest incomes because of varying proportions of unemployed and retired people and others not working.

  


Aberdeen 

  City

  

£423.2

  



Edinburgh 

  City

  

£396.1

  



South Ayrshire

  

£387.0

  



Glasgow 

  City

  

£373.1

  



Renfrewshire

  

£373.1

  



  Source: Office for National Statistics New Earnings Survey data.

  Note: Figures represent average gross weekly earnings in April 1999, before deductions for tax and National Insurance contributions, for full time employees whose pay was not affected by absence. This excludes authorities where data is not reliable - Angus, Clackmannanshire, East Dunbartonshire, Eilean Siar, Midlothian, Orkney, Shetland and West Dunbartonshire.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which bridges and tight bends on the A9 Helmsdale to Ord of Caithness route will be replaced or upgraded; what the estimated costs and timescales are for these works to be carried out, and what local consultation it intends to hold on its proposals.

Sarah Boyack: Works to replace the Ord Bridge, which also involved minor realignment and widening, were completed in November 1999. The cost of the work was £800,000.

  I also refer Mr Tosh to my answer to question S1W-2899. It explains how we will intend to identify future priorities for investment in the road network. Further measures to improve the geometry of the route will be considered within the Route Action Plan being developed for the A9 North of Dornoch and in the light of emerging maintenance requirements. Estimates of costs and timescales are not yet available.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to assess future movement and modal shares on key transport corridors, and whether it expects Scottish transport programmes to meet UK targets for a 20% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2010.

Sarah Boyack: The multi-modal corridor studies planned for the A8 and A80 will assess the future movement and modal share in each corridor. In addition, the recently completed Route Profiles provide a comprehensive and detailed summary of travel patterns and trends on the remainder of the trunk road corridors.

  A Scottish Climate Change Programme will be published for consultation this month. This will help to deliver the Kyoto Protocol commitment and contribute to the UK domestic goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 20% by 2010. The programme will contain measures in all sectors, not just transport.

Transport

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether every written objection to the proposals for the A701 will receive a written reply outlining why the Scottish Executive did not call a public inquiry.

Sarah Boyack: It has never been the practice to notify decisions to everyone who has submitted written objections to a proposal and there are no plans to introduce such arrangements.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer, if penalty clauses are invoked by the contractors in the event of the feasibility studies being undertaken on the Holyrood Project indicating the unsuitability of the site for the construction of the amended design and volume of the parliamentary complex, whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body or Her Majesty's Government as the original client would be liable for any costs.

Sir David Steel: Legal and financial responsibility for the Holyrood Building Project transferred to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body on 1 June 1999 under the terms of (Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/1106.) Contracts existing at that time were included in the transfer.

Holyrood

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will arrange for an independent survey to be carried out on the state of repair of the structure of Queensberry House, in particular its foundations, by a person recognised as being expert in the preservation and restoration of listed buildings such as Queensberry House.

Sir David Steel: I refer Ms MacDonald to the answer I gave her on 18 February in response to an earlier question on Queensberry House (S1W-4353).